The Star-News

Could Sweetwater Valley Little League have a monster team in the making? Well, anything is possible in the realm of youth baseball and the current group of SVLL 10/11-year-old all-stars has produced the credentials to warrant an extended look as they move up the ranks.

Sweetwater Valley built a 9-1 lead on Eastlake in Tuesday’s District 42 championship game at the SVLL complex before holding off a late comeback to post a 9-7 win.

Next stop for the winners is this weekend’s Section 7 tournament in Brawley.

Hot stuff? Perhaps, in more ways than one.

“This core group of nine boys has won everything the last four years, either in the district Tournament of Champions or district all-star play,” SVLL manager John Rose said.

Wyatt Lannom helped supply the offense in Tuesday’s game for the victors by slamming a three-run home run. Meanwhile, Ben Kettlehake started on the mound and worked out of a couple of dicey jams before being replaced by closer Jake Rose.

Eastlake drew closer on the strength of a two-run home run by Haein Choi in the fifth inning and a three-run homer by Isaac Almendarez in the sixth inning.

Daniel Burdeos started on the mound for Eastlake.

“It’s all about the boys — they’ve worked hard, it’s all about them,” the elder Rose offered in explaining the team’s ongoing success.

Sweetwater Valley opened all-star play by defeating the same Eastlake team, 10-1, on July 2. Of note, six different SVLL players smashed home runs in the contest, totaling seven in all.

Lannom crushed four homers in his team’s four tourney games.

Sweetwater Valley clobbered Park View, 13-0, last Saturday before taking it on the chin in a 13-5 defeat administered by Eastlake on Monday to set up Tuesday’s championship game.

Eastlake rolled over Luckie Waller, 19-2, to stave off elimination in a challenger bracket game last Friday and sent home Chula Vista National and Park View by scores of 11-4 and 8-7 in a pair of ensuing challenger bracket contests to get a second shot at Sweetwater Valley.

The newly crowned district champions scored 37 runs in their four games; Eastlake lit up the scoreboard with 59 runs in six contests.